1911-1920
It was a decade of non-stop events
in the life of the entity: the start of the Bernabéu saga, the inauguration of
O'Donnell Field, the birth of the Madrid-Barcelona rivalry, Madrid's dominance
in the Regional Championship, the title of Real was granted by Alfonso XIII,
and the first tour of a European country. Ten years of growth which can boast
of many more high points than low ones.
The Bernabéu family sets foot in the
Club
Antonio, Marcelo and Santiago
Bernabéu joined Madrid Football Club at the start of the 20th Century and
forever left their mark on its history. Antonio had the organisational talent:
he was a founding member of Bologna FC and later became President of the
Spanish FA, Marcelo was an outstanding player, and Santiago was everything
possible for the Club: player, delegate, director, secretary, and President.
Bernabéu debuts at the age of 16
Santiago Bernabéu made his Madrid
debut on 3 March 1912 when he was only 16 years old. It was in a friendly
against English Sports Club, and it took place at the Pradera del Corregidor,
along the Manzanares River in Madrid. The Madridista squad defeated the English
side 2-1, and Bernabéu, playing as a left midfielder, scored the winning goal.
Creation of the Regional FA and his
first tournament
Adolfo Meléndez, two-time President
of Madrid (1908-10 and 1913-16), presided over the meeting hosted by Madrid,
during which the Madrilenian FA was created. Acting as Secretary, the main
overseer of the Club signed the accord which, among other agreements,
established the first competition between teams from the city, and whose winner
would be elegible to play in the Spanish Championship.
Inauguration of O'Donnell Field
Thirty-one October 1912 witnessed
the inauguration of O'Donnell Field. Two days later, the headline of Spanish
daily ABC read: “The match between Sporting Club of Iran and said Society
was held a Madrid's field and was a booming success. Sporting Club is one of
the best teams to visit Madrid. They pass very well and have a beautiful aerial
game. Perhaps they missed the sandy pitch. Madrid deserve the most profound
congratulations for drawing against a team as fine as Sporting".
The regional tournament decked in
white
The Regional Championship of the
city will always be linked to the history of Real Madrid. While Adolfo
Meléndez, President of the Club, pushed for the creation of the tournament, the
Madridistas became its domineering participant, winning 12 of the 18 editions.
Madrid-Barcelona: eternal, epic
qualifier
The semifinal of the 1916 Spanish
Cup between Madrid and Barcelona turned into an eternal and epic elimination round.
Because away goals didn't count twice in those days, the teams had to play four
matches to determine the winner. Barça won the first game in the Ciudad
Condal 2-1, which Madrid later bested 4-1 on the field of the Spanish
capital's Athletic, where the last two matches were also held. By the end of
regulation time in the first, the score was a 4-4 draw, which ended 6-6 by the
end of injury time. Finally, Madrid defeated Barcelona 4-2 in the fourth match
and qualified for the final.
The hostilities begin
In the final match of the
aforementioned 1916 Cup semifinals, Barcelona players walked off the pitch with
seven minutes remaining in protest of the fourth goal, which they considered to
be offside. During the final between Madrid and Athletic Bilbao, hosted by
Español in Barcelona, the Guardia Civil, Spain's Civil Guard, had to protect
Madrid players on their way into the dressing room. Later on, rocks and stones
were thrown at the bus that transported the team to the hotel. The hostilities
between the two Clubs had begun.
Alfonso XIII grants the title
of Real
On 29 June 1920, the Club received a
communiqué from the Primary Superintendent of his Majesty the King Alfonso XIII
which granted Madrid the title of Real. The decision, which would change the
entity's original name, was eagerly anticipated by the Madridista Directors.
The first tour takes place in Italy
In 1920, Madrid went on their first
tour, comprised of five matches in Italy. The trip was organised by Natalio
Rivas, another of the founding members of Bolonga and Madridista player. The
budget for the expedition was very small, so the team was forced to eat at the
cheapest restaurants they could find
Source : http://www.realmadrid.com
